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Possible Antique Ring?

by Krysta
(Barberton, Ohio U.S.A.)

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SIDE (SAME ON BOTH SIDES)

FRONT OF ENGAGENT RING (BACK OF ENGAGEMENT RING LOOKS THE SAME WITH THE SAME DETAILS)

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I was wondering if you could tell me if this engagement ring & wedding band set is an antique? I purchased the set about 15 years ago in a pawn shop for $100.00. The set is 14K white gold & are soldered together.

The engagement ring has a small round diamond that is flush with the whole ring in the center set within a heart and a small ruby on each side of the center heart diamond set in a heart on each side and the rubies are also flush with the whole ring. On the side of each heart that has the ruby are tiny little four petal flowers that are 3 dimensional. On the outside portion of the ring in the front and back there is beautifully matching cut out engraved designs.

The band is arched on one side to fit snug against the engagement ring. It has a heart in the center with no stone in it and a ruby on each side of that heart set within a heart. On the side of each heart with the ruby is the same three dimensional four petal flowers that are on the engagement ring.

I have taken several pictures but found it very difficult to capture the amazing detail it has. I would appreciate any information you could provide me with. If you can't provide any information due to the quality of the pictures I totally understand.

I tried several cameras, several lighting changes but the pictures seemed to always come out blurry. This ring really sparkles & shines which helped contribute to the blurriness of the pictures. Thanks again!

Sincerely, Krysta

Hi Krysta,

It is very difficult to see any details from the pictures – but I suspect what you may have is a ring set made in the 1980s when a huge revival in vintage styles from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco period took place.

I mainly believe this because of the ring’s price and style – an antique ring with that much detail would most likely have been handcrafted, and highly detailed rings that are handcrafted from any era are highly valued – and even a novice jeweler would probably most likely be able to tell if an ornate ring is made by hand.

But that brings me to a second point – the details sound so amazingly intricate from your description (they can’t really be discerned in the photos) that if a ring does have those amazing details, and all the details are perfect, then the ring was most likely machined. If the ring was handcrafted, small albeit minute imperfections would usually be seen on a handcrafted ring with that much detail.

Even though machines were used to craft rings as far back as the late Victorian era in the 1890s, they usually didn’t contain the level of detail and designs you have described. Very ornate engraved and detailed rings are also a hallmark of 1980s vintage style rings - the heart theme was very popular in jewelry styles made in the 80s too.

That is not to say that the ring could not be from an earlier era – like the 1960s or 1970s, but it is probably not an antique.

The only way to know for sure is to have the ring assessed by a certified gemologist/jeweler who can at least offer an estimate on the ring’s age. An assessment can also offer clues as to the materials used to make the hearts – possibly, because of the ring’s price they are synthetic rubies or even garnets or red cubic zirconia – and the true value of the ring.

I highly recommend looking for a jeweler in your area who has been certified by the American Gem Society. You can visit the AGS website to find the nearest certified AGS gemologist/jeweler in your location.

The set looks quite beautiful though – and there are many admirers and collectors of vintage inspired jewelry designs from the 1980s. Additionally, because the value has risen so much on gold the ring set could be worth more than you paid for it 15 years ago.

If you do have the ring assessed in the future we would love to hear back from you as to the results of the assessment!

Comments for Possible Antique Ring?

My jeweler did look at the ring & the diamond & the rubies are genuine. He suggested at that time that I have someone who knows more about older jewelry look at it to date it. He makes his own jewelry & he thought that it was possibly an antique. After reading what you wrote I looked at the rings again & noticed that even though the detail is gorgeous it isn't perfect & I can see that some of the lines do not match up & the little flowers are definitely not the same, some petals are a little bigger than the others. I am going to have it looked at by someone who specializes in old jewelry as you suggested. The pawn shop that I got it from was only open for two months & they did not have very much stuff in there. I am hoping maybe they did not know exactly what they were selling when it came to the ring lol. Thanks for your time.

Hi Krysta, I hope you can have the ring analyzed by an antique jeweler. Keep in mind that the presence of real rubies is not an indication of whether the ring is an antique or not. The rubies could also be synthetics which although they have the exact same qualities as natural rubies they have a much lower value. Synthetic rubies were used widely in rings from around the Victorian era and throughout the 20th century - but the rubies would need a close examination to determine if they are really natural or not. Good luck and do keep us posted if you find out anything more about your ring!

Suzanne Gardner

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Wedding set with heart/rubies.by: Tina

This ring set is a set I looked at a jewelry store in Medford,Oregon back in the early 80's. It was approximately priced about $280.00 back then.